The freedom that he loved
by BlackMysticalWolf
Summary: There is something quite liberating to be able to run on all fours, something that no one would ever be fully able to describe. It is not something you could simply explain; you have to feel it to actually understand. Adrien understood. (Hogwarts AU, rated T for swearing.)


There is something quite liberating to be able to run on all fours, something that no one would ever be fully able to describe. It is not something you could simply explain; you have to _feel_ it to actually understand.

Adrien understood. Going to Hogwarts may have given him more freedom and joy than he had felt at home, yes, but it was nothing compared to when he was transformed, running free around the castle and its surroundings without a care. He could do anything he wished and not worry about people judging him for it, since no one would know that it was him.

He loved that feeling. Becoming an animagus was truly the best decision he had made in his life. As a cat he could walk unnoticed down the castle halls, find a place to hide when he wanted peace to relax or think, watch people without them noticing. Heck, he could even get a little revenge on the kids who would pick on him or his friends and get away unpunished – although that was a course of action he preferred to avoid unless the situation really asked for drastic measures.

All in all, being a cat was great. No wonder Plagg seemed to like it so much; the black cat had always been lazy and gluttony, and Adrien didn't think that would ever change. He used to complain about how he should have bought an owl instead of a damn black cat that only loved to sleep and steal all the cheesy snacks that he and his friends kept trying to hide from him. However, now he really could not say anything without feeling like a hypocrite, because honestly, he was the exact same – except for the lazy bit, Adrien usually preferred to stretch his legs and have a stroll instead of sleeping his day over.

The first time Adrien successfully transformed was during a late night in his fourth year at the wizard school. He had been training for over a year by then, ever since he had had lessons about animagi. He'd never forget how he felt at the moment, becoming so much smaller than he was accustomed to. The bathroom looked enormous, the open book next to him about the same size as his body, and as he looked down from the sink, the fall seemed so high that the floor seemed to scream _death_ right at his face.

Or, at least, that's what _human_ Adrien would have thought at the sight. But the him at that time, the _cat_ in him knew exactly what to do, and he was not afraid. His instincts were strong, he noticed, much stronger than when he was a human. (Later he also found that they were probably not as strong as a normal animal's instincts, since he was still able to think properly and, for the most part, stop himself from following them if he wanted.)

It took him a while to move, still feeling a little hazy, but after looking down at his hands – _paws –_ , curiosity took over him, making him turn to the mirror behind him to view the full picture of his new body.

Adrien was met with bright green eyes – _his_ green eyes, he realized after a startled moment, although his pupils were much larger than he was used to see, allowing him to see properly in the dark room now that he did not have the light from his wand. He was a cat, he noticed with satisfaction. His fur was primarily black, much like Plagg's, but he had also blond spots all over his body, like someone had carelessly painted him with dirty yellow paint without paying attention to what they were doing. The biggest blot was located on the top of his head where his fur was a little wilder, reminding him slightly of how his hair looks in the morning.

He took a few moments to contemplate his reflection and, deciding that he really liked the image in front of him, the now cat turned around and hopped off the sink, running out of the bathroom towards his so awaited freedom. He quietly hurried out of the HufflePuff's Common Room, fleeing into the night and exploring the castle like he had never been able to do before.

Needless to say, Adrien could barely keep his eyes open the next day, but he could not care less about any reprimands directed at him, the memories of the night before being all worth it.

-X-X-X-

 _'Don't you get tired of rubbing yourself all over that girl every single day? I think every cat in the castle can feel your smell on her from miles away now.'_

 _'Shut up, Plagg.'_

Adrien growled at the cat beside him as they walked, not for the first time almost regretting the fact that he could communicate with him.

He would never admit it out loud, but Plagg was right, and knowing that did not help his mood. What could he do if Marinette had the softest hands he had ever felt, aside from his mother's, and he just could not get tired of them?

That's right. Among everything else he learned to do in his two years as an animagus, this was his personal favorite: to use his feline charms to get Marinette Dupain-Cheng's attention. It always worked, and she did not know it was him, so he did not need to worry, right?

 _Right?!_

 _..._

Boy, she would be so pissed when she found out.

But he couldn't help himself. Adrien had been crushing on that girl since day one – okay, not really, but he did have a _huge_ crush on her.

Despite being in different houses, the two of them were part of a small group of friends with Alya and Nino. The latter two have been dating for about two months now, but he and Marinette were nowhere close to a romantic relationship yet. That really upset him.

The four of them became a group in the very first year of school. Marinette and Nino had known each other ever since they were kids, reason why both of them rode the train to Hogwarts together back then. They made each other company when they found themselves surrounded by so many strangers, calming each other's nerves. Alya was a Muggle-born who happened to find no other sits available in the ride and ended up sitting with the pair of childhood friends, easily bonding with them and gaining their friendship in no time.

Sadly, Adrien had been the only one absent at the time, for he had been sitting with his childhood friend, Chloé, during the ride (which was really boring, now that he looked back at it).

The four of them ended up in different houses: Marinette being sorted into Slytherin (which, over the years, Adrien kept asking himself why); Alya into Ravenclaw; Nino into Gryffindor; and himself into Hufflepuff, much to his father's disapproval. Despite the separation, the trio's friendship never faltered and they chose to spend their free time together whenever they were able to. Only Adrien was not part of it yet.

Truth be told, he would never have met any of them if it wasn't for Chloé. The girl had also been sorted into Slytherin, and for some reason that Adrien was unable to understand, she loved to make Marinette's life an absolute hell. After a few misunderstandings including a prank from Chloé in which Adrien got dragged into, nearly causing Marinette and Alya to hate him forever – unlike Nino, who had seen the whole ordeal play out from the beginning –, and a sincere apology later, he got included in the group, much to his childhood friend's dismay.

From then on, Adrien was proud to call such amazing people his friends. All of them were great to him, and he would never be able to thank them for all the happiness they'd provide him with in the years yet to come. And as time passed, he also found himself falling for Marinette.

He fell fast, and he had hit the bottom before he could even comprehend his own feelings. The boy was head over heels for her.

And she liked him too, he knew that. Being a cat really had its perks, after all – but it's not like he was eavesdropping on her or anything, she and Alya just happened to talk about him a few times when he was around.

Okay, _maybe_ after the first time it happened, he started eavesdropping. But that was not the point. He liked – _loved –_ Marinette, and she liked him back. Problem is, every time he decided to tell her about his feelings, something went wrong. _Always._

Curse him and his bad luck. If only he knew how to make Felix Felicis, maybe they'd be together by now. But then again, the potion was known to be very difficult to brew and he was not exactly the best at Potions, so once again _, curse him and his bad luck_.

 _'Stop sulking, Adrien.'_ The boy-slash-cat turned to look at his pet. _'We're almost there, are we not? You're going to see her anyway, so what's the problem?'_

 _'It's not the same thing and you know it, Plagg.'_

 _'No, I don't.'_ If cats were able to roll their eyes, he was sure that Plagg would have done it right then. _'Humans. I will never understand why you like to complicate things so much.'_

Adrien ignored him, instead focusing on making his way to where he knew Alya and Marinette would be right now. It's not his fault if the world seemed to conspire against him. He couldn't just simply transform back to normal and say " _Oh, hey, you know that cat that has been coming to you every other day? Haha yeah, that's me, but that's just because I simply fail to tell you that I love you every time I try, and so I use my cat form to have your full attention whenever I want. Funny, right?"_

His nose would be broken in no time if he ever decided to do that. Nope, definitely not an option.

Before he could get lost in his own thoughts, Adrien's attention drifted back to the world around him when a sweet sound invaded his ears. A sweet, beautiful laughter that he knew could only belong to one person.

He looked up, noticing Marinette and Alya sitting on their favorite spot below an enormous tree, only a few feet away from the castle's entrance. There were flowers blossoming on the top, the ground around it covered with the colored petals that insisted to fall from above. Adrien would have marveled at the sight had his attention not been thoroughly focused on the love of his life, who was laughing cheerfully along with her best friend. Her raven hair graced her facial features as it moved with the light blow of the wind.

 _Oh Merlin, she was so beautiful._

Adrien's paws started working on their own and soon he found himself running in her direction, completely awestruck, managing to stop only seconds before he could hop onto her lap. Instead he gently headbutted her knee, mentally scolding himself for being such an impulsive cat. The result was immediate as Marinette turned her head to look at the small animal next to her, Alya following the motion.

"Well, look at who decided to appear." The dark-skinned girl smiled at the black and blonde kitty, gently scratching his head. "You're quite late today, aren't you?"

"Yeah," Marinette agreed, her hand slowly running over the length of his back until it reached the tip of his tail, then repeating the motion, "we were wondering if you were going to appear today, mon minou."

Adrien couldn't stop the purr that came out of throat. _Mon minou._ He would never get tired of being called hers.

Mewing, he wasted no more time before climbing onto his crush's lap, making himself comfortable in the warm space between her crossed legs. The action made the girl giggle and Adrien felt his heart skip a beat at the sound. Soon, he felt her hand caress his fur again, scratching his head, his back, behind his ears, playing with his tail.

If he had failed to stop his purring before, there was absolutely nothing he could do about that _now._ Her hands were way too soft for their own good, and he was pretty sure that even eternity would never tire him from their touch.

"Isn't that Adrien's cat?" Alya's question made both Marinette and Adrien turn to look at Plagg who, unlike his owner, kept walking the rest of the way over to the girls.

The black cat sat down, keeping at a small distance from them, but still close enough to be petted. Plagg was not the affectionate type of cat, Adrien had learned that the hard way, but just like most felines, he would not pass the chance of receiving a bit of caress.

"I didn't know you two were friends." Marinette smiled, offering her free hand for him to sniff before scratching his ears as well. Plagg meowed in response, allowing her to pet him a bit more before dismissing her hand and lying down. "This makes me wonder," the girl added after a while, her fingers never leaving the cat in her lap, "whose cat is this after all? It keeps coming back to us, but we never found anyone that could be its owner."

"Maybe it's a stray," Alya replied thoughtfully, eyeing him. "Who knows? Maybe it chose you to be its human."

"Oh, what an honor." The half-Chinese girl rolled her eyes, a fond smile appearing on her lips. "I'm sorry, _chaton_ , only one pet per person here in Hogwarts. I could always take you home with me next summer though."

 _'Yes please, I would love that very much,'_ Adrien couldn't help the thought, meowing in approval while Plagg only huffed at his human. He'd be hers for all eternity if she wished.

The girls only chuckled at his response, amused by how it seemed like he actually approved of the idea before falling back on whatever subject they had been talking about before he arrived.

He rested his head on Marinette's thigh, closing his eyes and only opening them again when he felt a tiny peck next to his ear, looking up to find his Lady's red owl landing on Plagg's back.

If cats could smile, then the image in front of him would have made him grin.

Tikki has always been the most adorable and affectionate owl he had ever met, always greeting him and his friends with caring pecks on their heads and shoulders. Suited her owner, who was usually so kind to everyone she met. She was the only one Plagg didn't mind to have around, and if Adrien did not know him, he would have thought that the cat was in love with the bird.

 _Maybe he was_ , Adrien realized amusedly when he noticed that Plagg was purring at Tikki's displays of affection. _So much for not understanding humans, hm?_

He chose not to say anything – _yet –_ , and instead stood up, changed his position and lay down again, finding a way to hide his face from the sun and closing his eyes.

Marinette's warmth was the best tranquilizer in the world, he found when he was younger, and it never failed to put him to sleep. He felt safe like he'd never felt before, and in stressful days it was the best remedy.

Today was not one of those days, but Adrien did nothing to stop his mind from shutting down, being lulled by his Lady's warm voice and the soft touch of her fingers.

-X-X-X-

Of course.

 _Of course_ Marinette had to take the blame for him when he got himself in trouble. And _of course_ she would not let him have a say in this, because no matter how many times he explained to her that he was already 17 and that he could deal with his father's disapproval of his actions, she had to be so _selfless and try to protect him from further hurting himself when he honestly did not care anymore AND WHY THE ACTUAL FUCK WAS SHE NOT IN GRYFFINDOR, AGAIN?_

Detention. She got in detention because of him, and she did not allow him to object in any sort of way without getting mad.

 _He should be the one getting mad, God damn it._

As punishment for her – _his –_ actions, Marinette had been sent to help Hagrid in the Forbidden Forest that night. He would never understand what kind of punishment allowed students to get in danger, but it's not like he had a say in it; Hogwarts had always worked that way.

Still, he simply could not allow her to go alone.

It's not like she could not take care of herself, because she could. Really. Marinette was one of the most amazing witches he had ever known, and he knew a lot of powerful people.

And yet, only to imagine that she could end up injured because of _him_ … He would never be able to forgive himself.

On the other hand, _she_ would never forgive him for going with her, which was the exact situation she was trying to avoid in the first place.

Which is why, that night, Marinette found herself being followed closely by her so precious _minou._ She got confused by his presence at first, but as long as he did not get in her way, she didn't mind.

Although everything seemed to be going well at first, Adrien could not shake the feeling that something, anything, was going to happen. Maybe a werewolf would suddenly appear and jump on them. Maybe a vampire. Maybe one of Hagrid's creatures had gone wild and would try to hurt them.

And it wasn't like he did not trust Hagrid to ensure her safety, he did. But at the moment, his instincts were in turmoil.

All the different smells and sounds seemed to be mixing together the hardest he tried to identify them, and it was driving him crazy. If only he had been able to think properly at the time, he would have understood that it was all due to his excessive worry for his Lady's safety, added to the guilt he had been feeling ever since he had heard the teacher's choice of punishment for the girl.

But his mind was a blur, his thoughts were an absolute mess. His eyes darted to any and everything that moved even if just barely, every noise making him jump out of his skin and ready to attack. He could be small, but if anything dared to threaten Marinette, he would gladly fight until the attacker or himself perished.

It got worse when the half giant decided that they should split up for a while. Without the huge man around, Adrien got twice as worried, his fur bristling threateningly at nothing and everything.

"Are you scared, minou?" He jumped when Marinette broke the silence, whipping his head to look at her gentle smile. How could she be so calm at a time like this?!

 _'Scared for your safety, yes!'_ He meowed loudly, hoping that she would somehow understand him – which, of course, would not happen in this form.

The girl just giggled at his response and, before he could understand what was going on, he was lifted off the ground, being protected by her soft and yet strong arms as she held him closer to her chest.

"Don't worry, I'll won't let anything bad happen to you."

A wave of tranquility washed over him, and only then he noticed how stressed he had felt the last few minutes. Although, of course, it did not solve the problem that _he_ should be the one protecting _her_. He kept the thought in mind still, alert to any and every sound that was not Marinette's voice nor her beating heart.

Though it was quite a difficult test. He knew that no matter how many times he'd get this close to the girl, he definitely would never get tired of it.

It was rare for him to get this close to her chest though. The sound of her heart was lulling, and if it weren't for the situation they were in right now, he would have fallen asleep right away. The softness of her breasts didn't exactly help his case either (and he had to keep himself from thinking anything else concerning that specific part of her body; _be a gentleman, Agreste_ ).

Trying to drift away from his not so innocent thoughts, Adrien focused on the scenery once again.

Thick and tall trees were everywhere as far as he could see, their tops of leaves mixing with one another and barely leaving any clear sight of the sky. This part of the forest was very dense, the lack of moonlight making it twice as darker than it would have usually been, making him grateful for his night vision and Marinette's lit wand. The bushes were located everywhere as well, and considering them and all the trees, there were more than enough places to hide into, the thought crawling into Adrien's mind and making him feel uneasy once more.

 _Did that bush just move?_

For a moment, he pondered if his worries were clouding his reason again, but then he saw another movement in the corner of his eye. There was no doubt about it, there had to be something there.

Adrien perked his ears, his tail twitching slightly with apprehension. He heard something, maybe steps.

He was sure they could not be Hagrid's, the half-giant was not very sneaky, and he didn't have any reasons to lurk in the dark before approaching them.

He whipped his head to the direction of the noise, this time sounding closer.

"Chaton?"

He barely heard her, the fur on his back bristling as his eyes focused solemnly on the one point that he knew he would find whatever creature had been after them.

"Relax, kitty, there's nothing there."

 _'Yes there IS!'_ Did she not notice anything? Sure his senses were more evolved than hers at the moment, but the difference couldn't be that big, right? Why was she not running? _Why was her heart so calm?!_

Another noise.

There was something _looking at him_ from the bushes.

 _Okay, that does it._

In a single movement, Adrien jumped off of Marinette's arms, transformed in midair and lifted her off the ground, running away from the creature while completely ignoring the surprised shriek coming from the girl in his arms.

"What the- _ADRIEN?"_ She called after the initial shock, looking lost between getting confused or mad, all three emotions pretty understandable in his opinion. Boy, he was in so much trouble. "Stop. ADRIEN AGRESTE."

"NOPE!" He held her tighter in case she tried to free herself. "You are in danger, and I will not allow you to get hurt. You should not even be here in the first pla- AGH!"

This time, it was Adrien's turn to feel shocked as he found himself lying on his back and the girl that should have been in his arms now above him, a very angry scowl present on her face.

How the heck she made him lose balance while being carried in less than a second like it had been no effort at all was beyond his understanding. Really, he had been barely running for five minutes!

(Actually, he probably hadn't lasted even a full minute, but to acknowledge that would really hurt his ego.)

"What are you doing here?" Marinette's voice indicated her decision that getting mad was really the best option among the others she had.

"Making sure that you do not get hurt," he replied, his tone not very friendly either. "And I was right! You could be very injured right now if I had not carried you away!"

"Adrien, there's _nothing_ there!" She gesticulated to the spot where they had been not too long ago, now a few feet behind them. He turned his head up from where it was laying on the dirt, noting that there was, indeed, a creature staring at him, now unhidden by the bushes.

"… A Thestral." Now that explained why Marinette hadn't seen it, and for a moment Adrien did not know if he should feel grateful or envious for that.

In either way, he could still see them, and he wished he couldn't.

His head turned back just in time to see a glimpse of compassion in her eyes before her face hardened again.

"S-Still," Marinette cleared her throat, standing up, "the Thestrals in Hogwarts are all tamed and harmless to us, you should know that."

Shit, she was right.

Still, he decided as he stood after her, he had a good point for being there and he would make it get across.

"It could have been something else. A wolf, for example."

"Werewolf offspring. They never hurt a soul."

There was a pause. "A giant spider?"

"They're on the other side of the forest."

"Ah… Hippogriffs?"

"They only attack when offended. Otherwise, they're more well-mannered than you."

" _Excuse you._ A... I don't know, a unicorn!"

"Oh, now you're not even _trying_."

He knew that.

Adrien groaned in frustration, admitting his defeat. That's what you gain when you try to argument with the best friend of a lover for Care of Magical Creatures.

"Listen, _I don't know what else_ , okay? But this forest can be dangerous! And I don't want you to get hurt because of me!"

"Because of you?! Adrien, this is my detention!"

"It would be mine if you hadn't taken the blame for me!"

" _It was my choice, Agreste!_ "

A loud noise coming from East startled the teens, stopping their nearly shouted fight.

Quickly turning their heads to see where it came from, the rustle of leaves on the ground became more familiar to the both of them the louder it became. Soon, Rubeus Hagrid could be seen clearly in the light of the enormous lamp he carried in one of his hands, the other one holding a basket full of nocturnal plants and other ingredients he had found in the woods that night.

"I think I got everythin' I need tonight, Marinette. Yeh are free ter go back now." The half-giant pulled a big handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped the sweat out of his head. After putting it back where it came from, he looked up, eyeing the girl strangely. "Were yeh talkin' ter someone?"

The young witch turned to look at where Adrien should be, surprised to find nothing there. Upon hearing a soft mew, she looked down at the source of the sound. Her eyes quickly widened in realization, as if she had just remembered the puzzle piece she had found and forgotten in the middle of their argument, finally allowing it to fall into its rightful place.

She took a moment to compose herself, her eyes not leaving the cat even for a single second. "I was just… Talking to this stupid cat."

Adrien's eyes narrowed, glaring at the girl above him.

Despite his confusion, Hagrid decided not to press on the matter and led their way out of the forest.

The two students followed him quietly, not daring to look at one another. However, Marinette's last glance at her friend as they started walking had been very clear: he would not escape from talking.

It wasn't until they were both inside the castle, away from everybody's view, that Adrien transformed back, standing right beside Marinette as she stopped walking. The silence between them was heavy, and none seemed comfortable enough to break it yet, waiting for the other to make the first move.

But what was Adrien supposed to say? It was already pretty clear for them both that they had agreed to disagree about Marinette going to detention instead of him, and the slightest mention of that would most likely make them fall into another argument. He wanted to talk about that, yes, but at the very moment, he knew that wouldn't be a clever decision. He knew his best friend and himself, and both of them needed their minds clearer to approach the subject reasonably.

And he didn't want to address the fact that he just carelessly gave away his greatest secret (and his guilty pleasure) to Marinette either. It had been in the heat of the moment, he had been worried about her, what else could he have done? And yet, he couldn't just start with a _"Yeah, sorry I never told you that I'm the cat that kept rubbing himself all over you every day for the last three to four years"._ That was _definitely_ not a good start.

Adrien stiffened when the girl finally got tired of waiting, her voice sounding too loud after such long period of silence.

"So, you are an animagus."

It was not a question. But they had to start off somewhere, and she didn't have many options but the obvious.

"Yeah." He looked at his feet, not exactly feeling ashamed or guilty, just… awkward. He heard the subtle sound of her robes moving as she shifted her weigh from one foot to the other.

"And you never told me."

That phrase alone had enough impact to make his heart ache. Not because Marinette sounded accusatory – far from it, actually –, but the way her voice wavered revealed she was hurt.

Why? What had he done wrong? She was obviously upset about not knowing his secret, but he had never told _anyone_ about it before. He just hadn't been ready to share his personal fun with anyone yet; it's not like he did not trust his friends because of that.

 _… Oh._

He could punch himself right then and there.

That was not what he had meant. He trusted her with his life, always had. Adrien never shared his secret with anyone because he had been admittedly selfish.

It was _his_ secret _only_.

After all, even if it wasn't much, it made him feel rebellious. He could act however he wanted, go forbidden places, and no one could stop him exactly because no one knew. It made him feel free, unlike his home, or sometimes even Hogwarts. Besides, people never judged a _cat._ Some students didn't like his animal form, but it was usually out of a personal preference, not because he was a rich kid – and the same thing applied for those who did like him.

Not that his friends ever judged him based on his wealth, he knew that. Yet he wanted to enjoy his freedom without them just a little longer, he just never realized that his actions could hurt them.

That only made him feel worse.

"I never told anyone about that," his voice came out small as he turned to look at her with apologetic eyes. "I'm sorry, Marinette. But I had plans to tell all of you, just… I didn't know when..." He took a deep breath. "I've been selfish, now that I think of it. But I guess… The more I kept it hidden, the more difficult it became to tell any of you."

The girl looked down for a brief moment before nodding slightly with her head, showing that she somewhat understood, before she added, "I guess everybody has something they'd rather hide for one reason or another."

Adrien could do nothing but hum in agreement to that, deciding not to press her about whatever those words could mean. If Marinette had something to hide as well, he could only hope that she felt comfortable to tell him about it eventually – and it wasn't like he was in the place to ask anyway.

The silence settled in once again, this time not as heavy as before but certainly not comfortable either. After a few moments, Marinette's footsteps were heard as she started walking towards Slytherin's Common Room. Adrien took notice of the sound and quickly caught up to her, walking by her side. The action made her raise an eyebrow.

"You do realize that this is the way to the Dungeon, right?"

"Uh, yeah?" he shrugged. "Can't I walk you there?"

He didn't know if it was the soft and timid tone of his voice, or simply the suggestion to make her company for a little longer, but something made Marinette's lips curve upwards in a small smile. "I don't really see a problem with that, chaton… Despite the fact that you might get in trouble again."

Adrien couldn't help the smile that appeared on his face at the sound of his nickname. That was always a good sign, maybe she had already forgiven him.

"It's completely worth the risk, my Lady."

The witch only shook her head in response and kept walking. He was glad that despite their misunderstandings that night, they could still act like they normally did around each other. They were friends, after all, and he did not want to lose that bond.

Her smile seemed glued to her face, and Adrien only hoped that it would stay that way for a while longer. It was so cute.

It did not, however, as he noticed her expression fall from something somewhat relaxed to one of worry the closer they got to her destination. Her cheeks seemed to be a few darker shades of red, though it was really hard to tell in the dark without his feline vision.

Once they were only a few feet away from the entrance to the Slytherin's Dungeon, Marinette's voice was heard, small and timid as her feet came to a stop.

"H-How much did you hear?"

"What?" Adrien stopped to look at her, confused.

"A-All those times when I was t-talking to Alya… A-And you came to play with u-us." She cleared her throat in an attempt to stop her stammering. "W-What did you hear?"

After another moment of confusion, his face started to heat up, and he was pretty sure that even the darkness would not be able to hide the redness of his cheeks.

He'd heard everything.

... Well, mostly.

Still, he knew exactly what she meant with that question, and he couldn't help but get just as embarrassed.

"E-Everything." Adrien copied her actions, clearing his throat before trying again. "I heard everything."

Marinette muttered something under her breath that did not sound very polite, mirroring Adrien's thoughts. Before he could stop himself, he started rambling.

"I'm sorry, Marinette, really! I did not mean to hear anything – though after I overheard it the first time I just could not stop paying attention, but still –, I swear all that I wanted was a little bit of attention, because your hands are too freaking soft and I really just wanted to spend more time with you and I shouldjustshutupshouldn'tI?" The wizard used all of his strength to not hit himself.

Rambling is something that Marinette does, not him (though honestly, she looked adorable when she did). This was not helping his case.

And neither was his Lady's face for that matter. She had crossed her arms, looking just as embarrassed as before, but there was a hint of amusement in her eyes. _Princess no, you'll be the death of me._

"A-Alright," she took a deep breath, "let's review everything that happened tonight. First, I find that you're an animagus. Second, I find that you heard practically all of my embarrassing rantings about you and my feelings for you–"

"I still did not thank you for the 'hot stuff', by the way."

"– and I swear that I'm going to whack your pretty face if you say anything else – wipe off that smirk, Agreste!"

He really could not help it. Sure he was just as abashed as before at the whole situation, but the way she was glaring at him was too funny for the poor boy to resist.

"Go on," he requested, though his grin could still be seen on his lips, making Marinette groan.

"Alright. Third, 'my hands are soft'? Really?! Since we're at it, is there anything else you'd like to say before I go or are the surprises over for tonight, Monsieur?"

Were they?

Well, no actually.

They were alone in the middle of the night. Presumably nothing would happen to interrupt him this time (except for maybe Peeves, and Adrien would make sure to go find the Bloody Baron himself if the Poltergeist ruined such great opportunity). He knew she liked him back – that was exactly their topic of discussion, for crying out loud –, he had nothing to lose, right?

"Alright…" the blonde said after a small pause, his voice much less confident than he would have liked. He cautiously took a step closer to the girl. "Then it'd be a nice time to say that I love you, right?"

Marinette's eyes widened, and even the darkness couldn't hide her red cheeks from Adrien this time, making it look like her face would combust if it got any warmer. Her stuttering came back with full force now, her mouth opening and closing in failed attempts to say anything besides the incoherent noises that insisted on falling out from her lips.

Finally, she seemed to find her voice again.

"A-A-All this time?"

"Always."

"T-Then why didn't y-you say anything? You knew that I l-l-love you too…"

"Have you ever tried to tell something very important to a person," the blonde started with a sheepish smile, his hand finding its way to the back of his head out of pure habit, "but every time you do, things have to go wrong and you just never manage to say it?"

At that, Marinette's head hung, an annoyed groan leaving her lips. "Oh, _you bet_ I do… Curse us and our bad luck."

Adrien couldn't help snickering at her answer.

They were both so unlucky, Marinette had even bought them a bunch of ladybug themed items when they were twelve, ranting about how Tom had told her that they were a sign of good luck. Years later she still insisted on wearing her cute ladybug earrings, and her brief obsession had earned her the nickname "my Lady" from the cat boy.

"I don't know, my Lady, I'm feeling pretty lucky right now." He grinned, leaning in closer. "And I have the feeling it will only get better."

Marinette's eyes got a little wider at the sudden proximity before she matched Adrien's grin with one of her own. It didn't last very long though, for soon she brought their lips together and they found themselves too busy to do anything else.

Their first kiss was a little messy, fruit of inexperience from both parts. But after they parted giggling at their own mistakes, and joined again, they got the hang of it.

Their second kiss was so soft and just _so gentle_ that both students melted into each other's touch, barely managing to keep standing on their feet as they held onto one another. Their heads were reeling, and even though it was nothing like Adrien had expected, he found that it was _everything and more._

He felt whole, like his lips were made for the sole purpose of fitting hers. It was such a powerful feeling that it made him move forward as Marinette pulled back, not ready to let her go yet.

He opened his eyes just barely, and the soft – _beautiful_ – laugh that left his Lady's lips confirmed how love struck he must have looked at the moment. (But it was not like she looked much better anyway, and her big blue eyes shyly peeking at him from behind her eyelashes were so cute that his heart just had to skip a beat.)

"I guess that is enough good luck to last us a whole week, right?" Marinette joked, her voice so low it was barely a whisper. Adrien could only nod in agreement, still practically swooning. "Then I should kiss you again when our luck is gone, hm?"

"Non." His lips found their way back to hers before moving to her cheeks, planting small kisses all over her face. "Kiss me again tomorrow. Or now. Just every time you feel like kissing me, I'm up for it."

She giggled. "I think we will have to wait until tomorrow, because if I do it again, I won't be able to stop. It's way past our bed time, minou."

Adrien made a small noise in annoyance, clearly not opposed to staying up all night for the sake of kissing her. The small laugh that left her lips yet again made his heart soar – _Merlin, who needs Felix Felicis when you have a girl like her?_

Marinette bid him goodnight, and after another stolen kiss from his part, the witch left his arms and went inside her Common Room. The blonde sighed blissfully once her figure disappeared from his sight, turning around to make his own way back to Hufflepuff.

It only took him a few steps before he heard her appearing behind him again, her voice sounding accusatory.

"Wait a minute. Didn't you follow me into my room once, M. Agreste?"

 _Busted._

In one second, Adrien found himself on his four paws, running away from the Dungeons despite Marinette's protests. One glance behind him was enough to view her not so friendly frown, despite the hint of a smile that tried to force its way onto her lips.

A smile also appeared on Adrien's face that same night as he sneaked back into his own room, dropping down onto his bed and diving his face into his pillow. His grin only grew dumber with each time the memory of Marinette's soft lips came back into his mind, his cheeks growing darker.

After all, there is something quite liberating to be able to kiss the one you love and call them yours, something that no one will ever be fully able to describe. It is not something you can simply explain; you have to _feel_ it to actually understand.

Adrien understood.


End file.
